SEAC members report ongoing gaps in dyslexia identification and services despite increased awareness

Committee members and KSDE staff spent an extended session on dyslexia identification, parent access to services, and whether KSDE should separately collect dyslexia counts in special education reporting systems.

KSDE staff explained dyslexia is treated within the IDEA category of specific learning disability and that the state has not formally required separate statewide coding in the SPEDPRO system because identification is considered an educational determination, not a medical diagnosis. A KSDE speaker said collecting separate statewide dyslexia counts would require additional data work and could affect how federal funds are used for interventions.

Nut graf: Several parents and SEAC members told the committee that district practices vary and that families sometimes must obtain private evaluations to secure services. A KSDE official acknowledged the problem and said districts can and do provide dyslexia‑appropriate interventions within special education even without a separate medical diagnosis; staff said they will follow up on disaggregation and reporting options if SEAC or legislators request statewide counts.

A parent (identified at the meeting) described waiting more than a year for district evaluation and support; another committee member urged increased training for general education staff on Section 504 and dyslexia. KSDE staff said some districts use an SLD‑D or dyslexia flag locally, but the statewide upload process does not currently require a discrete dyslexia field; the KSDE presenter said adding a statewide collection would require a data request and possible system changes.

Ending: SEAC members urged KSDE to pursue clearer guidance and training for districts on dyslexia identification and accommodations, and to follow up on whether existing data can be disaggregated to show dyslexia identification and services across districts.